Govt tables National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, in LS

The Union government on Tuesday tabled the contentious Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, in the Lok Sabha, seeking to replace an ordinance related to the control of services in the national capital. The proposed legislation, which has brought the Delhi government and the Centre at loggerheads, empowers the Delhi Lieutenant Governor to have a final say in recommendations regarding the transfer and posting of Delhi government officials, received the nod of the Union Cabinet on July 25.

Tabled by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, the legislation will reverse the effect of the Supreme Court verdict in May that gave the Delhi government power over administrative services. The Opposition has been protesting against the Ordinance since the beginning of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The Arvind Kejriwal-AAP government has challenged the ordinance in the Supreme Court. In the past couple of months, Kejriwal toured across the country and met Opposition leaders to drum up support against the bill and get it blocked in the Rajya Sabha, where the NDA is short of numbers.

"The bill vindicates the outrageous infringement of the government on the territory of the states. It is designed for digging up a graveyard for cooperating federalism," said Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Adhir Chowdhury.

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